Parallels
by shadowremains
Summary: AU where Alex is placed in Witsec with Olivia as a married couple. They must manage their crazy neighbors in the midst of navigating their developing feelings for each other as well as figure out how much of their new life is a lie and how much of it is real. Written years ago for a livejournal community, this story is super old and some details will probably date it. AO.
1. Imitation

**Disclaimer:** They so don't belong to me.

 **A/N:** This is an old story I wrote years ago. I thought I should archive some of things, so I'm posting this again here. It was written as a response to a prompt on the alex_liv_lovers livejournal community. The prompt is below **:**

 _Both Alex and Olivia are shot by Liam. Both are pronounced dead to others. While they are unconscious at the hospital, Hammond set up their Witness Protection identities as a married lesbian couple in a state that allows that (I'm Canadian, so I don't know which States legally allow it...Vermont?). He assumed they were 'together' based on his interactions with them, but they weren't. Neither actually saw themselves as 'gay', let alone together. They accept the new pseudo lives so they can keep with a friend, but ... and you can develop the story as they fall in love as a 'straight' lesbian married couple in witsec._

 **Imitation**

In the birth land of America, Leah Sandifer pulls into the driveway of her suburban home and parks the car beneath the roll away basketball hoop. The metal of the wedding ring on her left hand taps against the steering wheel as she grips it to reach over into the passenger's seat for her bags. Then with a quick run of her fingers through her brunette hair, she's out of the car and up the steps of her home. The last thing Leah Sandifer does almost every day is unlock the door, push it open, and then close it behind her. As soon as the door is closed, Leah Sandifer ceases to exist and former detective Olivia Benson leaves her hanging on the coat rack with the rest of that life.

"Honey, I'm home," she calls through the house with a grin, dropping her keys in a bowl by the door.

"You're late." She hears the familiar voice echo through the hallway and then Alexandra Cabot pokes her head out from the dining room, wiping her hands on a towel. "And I don't appreciate preparing dinner by myself."

Holding a brown paper bag, Olivia flashes her the best charming smile she can manage and then follows her into the dining room where dinner has been laid upon fresh table linen. Impressed, she hands the bag to Alex.

"Milk," she says and then steps back to survey the meal. "You didn't make this, did you?"

Alex is almost offended and walks to the kitchen with the milk. "Of course I did. The Wives decided at the last minute to have cooking meetings instead of a book club. So yours truly gets to spend Wednesday afternoons in a kitchen pretending to take notes in between wife-y gossip. Oh, our neighbor Keith has a birthmark shaped like Italy on his right buttock, by the way."

"I've only met the man a month ago and already I know what he's hiding in his briefs. Fantastic." Olivia nods, pulling two clean glasses from the cabinet. "Wasn't the book club the only reason you agreed to join this little wives' association?"

Alex shoots her a dry look and says, " Yes."

After Alex pours the milk, they make their way back to the table and take a seat, sitting on opposites of one end of the dining room table. Today's menu is a baked chicken leg served on a bed of greens, a small side salad, and store-bought rolls. Olivia guesses that they haven't covered baking yet in these cooking meetings.

"I'm not sure I should be glad that they've been so open to our illicit imitation marriage or insulted that they immediately pegged me as the wife," Alex says and the two of them forego grace and begin to slice the meat from the chicken bone.

"I don't know," Olivia says. "If it means coming home to a hand-made meal like this every day, I think it's just fine."

"Don't push your luck."

"Sorry you drew the short end of the stick for this entire experience." Olivia smiles. "But if it's any consolation, the chicken is good."

Now, Alex leans forward and finally smiles, pointing a smug finger her way. "Now that's exactly how I would expect my spouse to speak."

Olivia laughs and catches the gold of the ring on Alex's slender finger and the surreality of this entire situation comes flooding back to her. This home is decorated in a warm earthy color scheme with sofas upholstered in dark olive and mahogany tables beautifully stained chestnut brown. The plush carpeting is a muted brick red, sun-warmed and flecked with evergreen, with brown and honey tassels on either end. The walls are adorned with paintings by unknown artists and photographs of Christmas' in the Rockies, vacations to Rhode Island, and a honey moon to Niagara Falls; all of which only happened to make the lives of Leah Sandifer and Constance Holloway believable to all the people they were bound to meet.

There is only one picture that is of their true selves, taken on the steps of the courthouse by Maureen after they successfully won a case. A Marshal had handed it to them on the drive to their new home from the airport. He had waited until after a few hours of silence had passed and both women had stared out the window lifelessly as they sped away from everything they were leaving behind. The picture was framed in a cheap metal frame with open squares where dragonflies dangled loosely all around the picture, an odd choice for a Marshal.

They keep the picture beside the lamp sitting between their olive sofas, always quietly and unobtrusively in sight so, if need be, they can draw comfort from it.

Alex catches Olivia gazing toward it now and then pushes peas on her plate for a moment. "You can't be late tomorrow. The dinner invitation from the Turners still stands."

"I forgot about that." Olivia chews thoughtfully. "I guess we should iron out the creases in our cover tonight then. Weren't you coming up with a story on how we met?"

Now, Alex's eyes light up and she sits up straighter in the chair, speaking with adorable accomplishment in her voice. "I did. I thought about it for a little bit, but I think I finally came up with something worth telling."

Olivia waits for a moment and then raises an eyebrow. "And what is it?"

Alex only offers a mysterious smile.

* * *

That night when they were walking back from the bar, Olivia and Elliot offered to call Alex a cab, but she had refused, told them that she was just going to walk. Olivia had seen the hubcaps on the black SUV and had mistaken them for gaudy spinners. That was her thought when the first shot was fired and then the cop in her snapped to standing attention, pushing Alex down as Elliot ducked for cover. She was the only one looking when the wheels on the SUV took a few milliseconds to spin on the concrete, the foul smell of burnt rubber filling her nostrils. Olivia was the only one to see the face behind the barrel of the gun and by the way he eyed her for that fraction of a second before the SUV sped off with Elliot chasing after, she knew he had seen her too because she felt his last shot rip into her right shoulder and shove her down.

The best hitmen hit their mark and leave no witnesses behind and Olivia realized that she had just become a witness.

* * *

Olivia had only been home five minutes before Alex pushed her into the bathroom and told her to "Hurry up and shower" because the dinner had been pushed up by thirty minutes. Half-way through shampooing her hair, Alex announces she's coming in with some clothes she picked out and Olivia, squeezing her eyes shut to keep the shampoo out, says, amused, "Now you're entering the bathroom while I'm showering with an outfit you've picked out for me?"

"It's fine," Alex tells her. "We're married now."

Olivia only smirks and before Olivia knows what's happening, she finds herself standing at the Turner's front door wearing the blue sweater and gray slacks Alex picked out for her and holding a bottle of wine. The way Keith and Rebecca Turner open the door isn't quite as nauseatingly cheerful as the movies had preconditioned Olivia to think it'd be, but the stifling atmosphere reeks of propriety that shudders her bones. She enters the happy suburban home with caution, maintaining a professional smile and letting Alex handle the initial greetings.

"Thank you for having us, Becca, Keith," Alex says, placing a hand on Becca's shoulder momentarily. "When we moved here, we honestly worried that we'd be shunned because of our unconventional lifestyle."

Becca waves her hand in the air and says, "Oh, no, don't you worry about that one bit, honey. This is the 21st century."

"Careful there, sweetheart." Olivia chimes in with a smile. "It's dangerous calling another woman's wife 'honey'."

It takes only a second for Becca to see that Olivia is joking and when she does, her cheeks blush red and she starts laughing. Keith drapes an arm on his wife's shoulders and raises an eyebrow toward Olivia. "Wow. Should I be worried about you stealing my wife, Sandifer?"

"Wouldn't dream of it, Keith," Olivia says, looping an arm around Alex's waist and pulling her close. Her fine-tuned observational skills do not miss the faint surprise that crosses her fake wife's face. "I am a one woman kind of girl. Believe me."

Olivia smiles through the slight feeling of nausea rising in her gut and shoots Alex an 'Are they serious?' look which Alex returns with a 'Don't be an ass' look of her own. Amused at the nonverbal scolding she just received, Olivia hands the bottle of wine to Keith and then they're ushered inside the house to where the dinner table awaits.

Dinner is baked salmon and green bean casserole. Also adorning the table are plates of deviled eggs, steamed broccoli, and baby carrots. As they sit down, Keith explains that he and Becca are trying to go vegan. They've successfully trimmed out almost all animal products, but fish, honey, and eggs are the hardest so far. Becca begins dishing out portions and Keith pours each of them a glass of wine.

"So, how did you two meet?" Becca removes her napkin from the table and lays it flat on her lap, looking up at them expectedly when she's finished.

Olivia and Alex exchange glances and then Olivia offers Alex a hand, silently telling her to go ahead.

"We actually met in line for coffee at this very small place" Alex says. "I was a little short on change and here came Leah swooping in out of nowhere buying my coffee before I knew what was going on."

"Best five dollars I ever spent." Olivia sips her wine.

"You picked her up over coffee?" Keith asks Olivia, slightly surprised.

"Well, no, not exactly," Alex tells them. "She was there with someone else."

"You're joking." Becca leans forward on the table her jaw dropping slightly and she shoots Olivia a glance. "Is that true?"

Olivia is at a loss and looks at Alex who flashes her a mischievous smile. Olivia has to force a shrug and she says, "I'm sorry I had a healthy romantic life?"

"So, what happened?" Becca asks them. "How did you stay in contact?"

"She was dumped that morning," Alex says.

Olivia is just as surprised as Keith and Becca and all three look at her for a moment. She is torn between her utter amusement and her surprise that Alexandra Cabot has an imaginative side to her. She smells the personal embarrassment Alex has cooked up for her in this story and decides not to take this lying down.

"I was not dumped." Olivia lifts a finger to clarify the point and Alex raises an eyebrow at her. Olivia turns to Keith and Becca and says, "Don't believe anything she says."

"Really?" Alex asks. "You think I'm lying? Because the way I remember it, your girlfriend seemed plenty upset when you finally joined her. She stormed out of that place with her coffee in hand and yours leaking onto the floor."

"Oh, so Constance picked you up?" Keith asks.

Olivia and Alex turn to look at him and at the same time Alex answers "Yes", Olivia answers "No" and Becca lets out a fit of giggles.

"Okay." Olivia points a finger at her. "First of all, she wasn't my girlfriend. She only wanted to be."

"You seemed to be pretty into her to me."

Olivia flashes her a mischievous smile of her own and says, "Ah, that's because I wanted you to like me."

The shocked amusement on Alex's face causes Olivia's grin to widen and Keith claps his hands and gives a hearty laugh.

"I know that technique well. I tried to use it on Becca when we first met."

"And it didn't work, remember?" Becca says and Keith reaches over to rub her back with a smirk.

Olivia says, "Well, it worked for me."

"Hold on a minute, Casanova." Alex raises her eyebrows in disbelief. "I bought you the second coffee because I felt sorry for someone who did me a favor five minutes earlier."

"Oh, come on, Constance." Olivia reaches over and pats Alex's cheek. "You knew as well as I did, for us, it was a good fit from the beginning."

"I don't believe in fanciful things like that. " The familiar tone in which Alex says this makes Olivia think of late night interviews at the station house. "It's naïve to think you can just know someone is compatible upon first meeting them."

"I don't know," Keith says, giving Alex a smile that makes both she and Olivia pause for just a moment. "I think it's possible."

Becca backs him up with her ever energetic manner of speaking, "I will always believe in love at first sight."

"I'm not saying it was love at first sight. I'm just saying we both felt something," Olivia says, turning in her seat to hold Alex's gaze. She forgets that Becca and Keith are watching, that there is a plate of food sitting in front of her waiting to be consumed, and that the woman sitting next to her is supposed to be Constance Holloway and not Alex Cabot.

She laces the tips of her fingers together and says, "The great thing about being a kid and only having relationships that last three months is that you weed out the traits that don't mesh well with your own personality and then you have a fairly good idea of what kind of person you're looking for. So, one day, when a lifetime of your experiences and choices and everyone else's experiences and choices conspire together to get both of you at the same place at the exact same moment, you can recognize without wasting time that you're a match. Everything counts on that."

Alex says, "You thought we were a match from the start?"

Olivia answers, "Yeah. I really did."

With a quick glance to Becca and seeing the utterly charmed look on her face, the same look an entire audience of women would have when watching a Nicholas Sparks' movie, Keith leans forward and whispers toward Olivia, "You said I didn't have to worry about you stealing my wife, Sandifer."

Becca blush-laughs and gives his shoulder a shove, shaking her head and quickly jumping to her own defense. Olivia takes advantage of the distracted neighbors and apologizes to Alex for possibly ruining her story, but Alex shakes her head and gives an impressed smile.

"I think it's much more believable this way," she says and then casts a shadowed glance toward the couple across the table from them. "Do you think they're as happy as they appear to be?"

"This is Suburbia, America. Movies tell us that kind of happiness is impossible here."

Alex sighs. "At least in New York, the dark underbelly of society didn't hide under false pretenses."

Olivia shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe this one doesn't want a tan?"

* * *

In the well-lit but featureless hospital room, US Marshal Hammond had blinked and then widened his eyes, the lips between his wiry beard and mustache parting just enough for him to utter out a few words in the still air.

"You're not?" he had said, as if asking them both to rethink what they had told him.

Olivia and Alex lifted their eyebrows in innocence and shrugged their shoulders and Alex said, "What made you think that we were together anyway?"

"It just seemed kind of obvious to my team and I," he said, lifting his clipboard to scribble something with a blue ballpoint pen, ignoring the exasperated looks on the women's faces. "The arrangement still stands and it will take a few days of work to get something else worked out for you two."

"How were we obvious?" Alex pushed, but Olivia extended an arm toward her that made her catch the words on her tongue

"If we would rather not assume identities as a couple, would we still be placed together?" Olivia asked, scratching at a patch of dry skin beneath the sleeve of her hospital gown.

Hammond shrugged. "We can't promise that will happen. You face a better chance of disappearing completely if you disappeared separately. As such, I am technically obligated to inform my superiors of your current marital status, but if you two so choose, I am still willing to keep this under wraps. Trust me. It'll help to have a friend beside you."

Now, Oliva and Alex exchange glances as the weight of reality settles comfortably on their shoulders. Alex pinches the bridge of her nose and Olivia licks her chapped lips in thought. This was asking a lot from them. Not only were they giving up their entire lives, they were also giving up petty indulgences like openly pursuing intimate relationships. Depending on how long they have to keep up this charade, that will prove cumbersome down the line. But Olivia cleared her throat and looked at Alex.

"Alex?"

"What?"

"I don't know if I can face this new life alone," she said and turned to look at Alex sitting in the bed beside her. "So. Would you be my wife?"

Alex let out a weary half-smile and said, "Sure, Olivia. Okay."

Continued...


	2. Philosophy

**A/N:** This is showing my age, but just in case anyone does not know, the military used to have a law that forbade homosexuals from serving in the army as out and open homosexuals. It was called Don't Ask, Don't Tell and it was a really shitty time to be a gay soldier as one could be discharged and all honors earned revoked if one were discovered to be gay.

 **Philosophy**

The first Saturday morning after a fairly long first few months as Leah Sandifer, Olivia is looking forward to snoozing in a little past five. The job that was secured for her was in a government funded student support office at the University of Massachusetts which was a little over an hour drive on the Pilgrim's Highway. Every morning, she is up by five and out the door by 5:30 to unlock the office by 7:00. And November mornings are not pleasant things to contend with that early.

This morning, however, at a very early 5:30 am, thirty minutes before Olivia even entertained the idea of awaking, Alex comes into her room and bounces her out of sleepy oblivion. She startles her so badly, she shoots right up near terrified and ready for a fight. When she sees Alex sprawled on her stomach amongst her covers with her chin in her hand, Olivia takes in a breath and tries to blink her heart into beating again.

"Jesus, Alex."

"Good morning, Fake Wife," Alex says with a smile. "Let's get married."

"What?" Olivia asks, pulling her covers back up to her chin and rolling over. "We're already married."

"No," Alex says, chasing her under the covers to avoid the frosty air. "We're Civil Unionized, but yesterday, Massachusetts passed the Same-Sex Marriage bill and Leah and Constance would be jumping out of their skins to finalize things quickly before it gets reversed."

Olivia looks over her shoulder at her, the blankets slipping down a little to escape the cold air that was seeping in a bit. She raises an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

"Saw it first thing this morning. Sometime next year after legislation changes the law, it will be completely legal."

"You're really excited about this, aren't you?"

"I am," Alex says as they both turn onto their backs and stare at the ceiling above them. "The law is flawed, but it's nice to know that it can sometimes catch up with our ever changing society."

Olivia shoots her a look of disbelief. "Are you sure you're not just excited about giggling over different wedding gowns?"

"That too." Alex smiles. "And we still need to fake Commitment Ceremony pictures."

"True. Oh, man. If the boys could see you." Olivia laughs, placing a hand over her tired eyes and her voice comes out coarse with sleepy gravel. "I can hear Munch now: 'Way to stick it to the GOP, Cabot. Banning gay marriage is just another way for the government to take a dump on Separation of Church and State. I tell you, something smells rotten in the US of A and it's a massive stool from the collective a-holes that run this country.'"

"Leave it to John to reference feces and great literature while taking a jab at American politics." Alex makes a face at the metaphor and then quickly pushes the image from her mind. "So, would you like to go gown shopping today or today?"

"That's not a choice, Alex."

"Yes, it is. And it's yours to make."

"...I guess, today then?"

"Great. Then, we'll leave after breakfast," Alex says, throwing the covers off and jumping to her feet. A violent shiver passes through her as she heads for the door. "Oh, and Olivia? You've got bed head."

Olivia blushes a little and then flings a pillow toward her but it smacks into the door Alex pulls shut and then flumps lifelessly to the ground.

* * *

At any time during the day, a bridal salon usually has quite a few women scouring dresses on racks and oogling others modeled by mannequins with snobby expressions painted on their faces – if they have faces at all, that is. Olivia's glad both she and Alex feel slightly awkward in this place with its air of elegance and barely-controlled excitement bubbling inside its customers. It's not the first time either of them have been inside one of these places, but it is the first time they've been with the intent to purchase for themselves.

"I don't know if Leah would wear any of this," Olivia says, lifting up one with a giant bow on the left hip and satin ruffles that would make any movement of a woman's hips look like she was sashaying down the aisle. "Can you see me in this?"

Alex cocks her head to the side and thinks for an honest moment and Olivia drops her shoulders.

"Sure. Insult me, why don't you," she says with a frown.

"I'm sorry." Alex takes the dress from her hands and points to it. "This is not you and I think Leah would wear a very nicely tailored form-fitting suit. With tails."

"You're joking," Olivia says. "What do you base this on?"

"That's the sort of person Constance would fall for." The matter-of-fact way she says this is almost too much for Olivia so Alex quickly racks the dress and says, "It's a shame you can't wear your Dress Blues. I think that would suit you perfectly."

"Well, maybe Leah is Army reserves now. Or Coast Guard. They're mostly on call, right?"

Now Alex looks at her in a such a way it causes goose bumps to run along her arm. A million thoughts race through her head but only this escapes her lips: "You want to honorably discharge me? Really?"

"Decorated Officer Leah Sandifer quietly accepted honorable discharge from the United States Army last week-," Alex says, reaching over and brushing off Olivia's shoulders, "when the details of her relationship with a Constance Holloway came to the attention of her commanding officers. When asked about her controversial decision to accept and set back gay rights ten years, Sandifer had this to say."

Alex holds up an imaginary mic to Olivia's lips and Olivia raises an eyebrow.

"Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice..'"

Alex makes a face and drops her hand, turning to scour another rack of dresses. "I would personally love it if you wear some kind of uniform. It would also explain why you look like you can beat the snot out of all the husbands in our neighborhood."

"All right, all right. We'll bother the Marshal even though he said specifically only to contact him in times of emergency," Olivia says. "Also, I get to pick your dress."

"That's not fair."

"Oh, it's not only fair, it's fair and square."

Alex sighs. "Fine."

She tries on a few dozen gowns to see how they fall. Olivia shakes her here on most of them. Once she even gags and sends her back before she can take more than one foot out of the dressing room. And then Alex comes out in one of the ones they marked "uncertain" because of the faintest pastel green border of the bodice beneath the ivory beading and the cinched top layer of satin on the skirt. It only takes a few seconds to see how much the green makes her pale complexion glow and how the skirt falls not at all obnoxious as they had previously assumed and Olivia nods her head, points a finger.

She says, "That one."

"Are you sure?"

Alex steps up on the stand in front of the mirrors and turns to view herself at all the angles, and Olivia continues to nod her head.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

Alex concedes with a small "Okay" and signs for the dress as Constance Holloway. Before handing the stub to the cashier, she studies her signature for an abnormally long moment. In the parking lot, they drape the dress over the backseat of the car and then climb in, pulling seat belts over shoulders, the twin metallic chocking sounding through the empty car.

"Why did you pick the name Constance?" Alex asks her, straightening up in the passenger seat.

"You said you liked it," Olivia says, almost hurt that she's only bringing it up now. She puts the keys in the ignition and brings the car to life.

"I do," Alex says. "I was just wondering why."

"Purely selfish reasons," Olivia tells her, pulling out of the parking lot. "You ever think about the idea of foundations?"

"Foundations? Like building foundations?"

"Yeah," Olivia says, glancing in her review before switching on her turn signal and taking a right. "How everything needs that foundation as a point of reference. We know we're upright because there's ground beneath us. I know we're heading north right now, because the Atlantic is to our right. We all need something consistent in our lives to tell us how to make sense of everything else. Otherwise, all we have is chaos."

"You're saying I'm your constant."

"You're my reference point. When I look at you, I know I'm still me. I know everything's gonna be okay."

For a moment, the only thing that can be heard is the traffic outside and the heater softly blowing. Olivia can feel the vibration of the car as the engine pumps life into it like a mechanical heart full of pistons and valves, propelling the sedan further down the street.

"Now I finally know what you are," Alex says.

"What? What am I?"

"You're an old fashioned gentlemen, Olivia. That's what you are."

They lunch at a small street-side dinner that boasts, "Floats and Cherry Coke Made The Real Way" on its windows. The November wind is so chilly, that no one sits outside though and the metal tables remain naked and lonely. Inside the place is decorated in 50s and 60s memorabilia. In a corner near the restrooms is a life-size cardboard cut out of Elvis, shaking his hips with a mic drawn to his thin lips frozen in a seductive smile. Vintage road signs adorn the walls at odd angles and an old-fashioned juke box plays.

"This place is hilarious," Olivia says, inspecting the Betty Boop salt and pepper shakers set to the side where the napkin dispenser sits. "It's like it's desperately trying to get into some kind of parallel world where Elvis never died and poodle skirts remained the pinnacle of fashion for ten more years than it should have."

Alex rests her chin in the palm of her hand and says, with a tone that speaks volumes on her unsurprised amusement, "Now you're talking about parallel worlds?"

"How the mind wanders when it doesn't have a job that consumes it completely."

Alex smirks and raises a hand in mock defeat. "Okay. So. Talk to me about parallel worlds, Professor Philosopher."

"You don't think it's kind of interesting?" Olivia asks. "That somewhere in the space/time continuum, there could be a Constance whose life has turned out drastically different than yours because of small inconsequential things left up to chance? Like your own choices, or someone else's choices that affect you? I mean, maybe this Constance runs for mayor."

Alex laughs and says, "Or sinks her career with a politically suicidal scandal."

"Or prepares to shelve the career altogether because of some handsome fellow."

"It would have to take a better reason than a pretty face to get any Constance Holloway to give up her career."

"Maybe he's dark and mysterious and she's utterly in love. Or maybe it's a damn good looking woman?" Olivia raises a playful eyebrow.

Alex rolls her eyes but still chuckles.

"I hope she never hears about the Zapata case then," she says. "If Fancy Face isn't a cop and they aren't engaged or married, the chances of her disappearing without him or her are pretty high."

There is a small silence and Olivia intertwines her fingers on the tabletop and looks down, noticing the tacky green plastic tablecloth with its white and yellow flowers. She traces the outline of one of the flowers with the edge of a pinky and feels the shoulder that took the bullet ache a little. She rotates it slightly.

"I think that would almost kill Fancy Face," Olivia says, bothered. "I mean, let's say Constance was involved with a cop, she could still disappear without notice. Imagine. Imagine that was what was supposed to happen you."

"That would mean that I'm bound to be shot no matter what reality we're in," Alex says, chewing on the words for a moment.

"You are the constant." Olivia reminds her but Alex takes a moment to think about this.

"So, if I'm the constant," she says, "then you must be the variable. You decide how everything else plays out."

"What makes you say that?"

Alex leans forward and says, "Because I could have easily disappeared by myself. But I didn't. In this life, I have you."

The corner of Olivia's lips lift in a lopsided smile and she says, "You know when Hammond said he thought we were obvious? This is what he means."

After a comment like that, Alex is forced to turn away, her interlocked fingers hiding the lower half of her face but Olivia can see the faintest signs of a smile when she says, "Oh."

* * *

When they pull into their driveway, Keith and Becca are outside in the yard with a metal measuring tape, kneeling down the length of their driveway. They both stand up and the metal tape slings back with a loud zip as it coils back inside its container held firmly in Keith's hand.

"Congratulations!" Becca shouts to them and then gives a few enthusiastic cheers.

Olivia and Alex step out of the car and exchange curious glances. As Olivia rounds the hood of the car, Alex takes a few steps toward the Turners, shielding her eyes from the setting sun with a hand.

"Excuse me?" she says.

"You can get married now!" Becca says and Keith shoots out a hand toward Olivia and gives her a firm handshake.

"So, how does this work for you, Sandifer?" he asks. "Technically, you're a wife, but I was talking with the boys. We don't know if you'd ever want to toss back a few cold ones and watch the game, but you're more than welcome to. Some of the guys may be a little rough at first, but they'll get used to it. That is, unless, you'd rather do the cooking lessons with Constance and Becca?"

Olivia retrieves her hand when he is finished with it and from the corner of her eye, she catches the smirk on Alex's face. She reaches over and pinches the center of Alex's back and makes her jump slightly in her skin. Then Olivia forces an appreciative smile toward Keith. "Uh, thanks, Keith. I'll definitely make sure to weigh my options."

Olivia can tell that Becca is bursting with something else to tell them so, respectfully, she turns her attention to the small round honey-colored woman and shoots her a very well-faked excited and expectant look.

"The neighborhood all decided to get you both a little something to commemorate this wonderful occasion," Becca says and tries to contain a squeal. "Oh, it's so heavy. Keith, honey, why don't you take Constance inside and show her?"

"Sure thing, Becca-bear." He smiles to Alex and the two of them disappear into the Turner home, leaving Olivia suddenly very conscious of the company they'd left her.

"So," Becca says, taking a step closer. "Did you propose yet?"

Olivia forces a laugh and runs a hand through her hair. "Actually, she beat me to it. She saw the news before I did."

"I bet you would have done something so super romantic if you had read it first. You have such a romantic soul and I think it's so sweet how you treat Constance. I can't imagine what it must be like not being able to marry the one you love. I mean, I can imagine indulging in a forbidden love, my goodness, don't we all, but I've never found another women remotely attractive-."

Olivia nods her head, sliding her hands in her pockets as she waits for Becca to take a breath. She amuses herself with counting the seconds until them, becoming more and more amazed as the words continue to spill uninhibited on the same breath. This is why she almost misses the sly change of subject.

"-until now."

And that's when Olivia notices the way Becca looks at her, tilting her head to one side and playing with a lock of her honey hair and her bambi eyes now locked in and focused like a hawk set on prey. Olivia feels her soul squirm and is all too glad when Alex and Keith return, Keith toting a large box of nice dinnerware.

"It's not much," he says, "But we thought to welcome you to the neighborhood and congratulate you on your new found marital status."

"It's not that heavy, Keith. Leah can take it, I'm sure," Alex says, coming to Olivia's side and standing closer than she normally would.

Olivia takes the dishes and they both extend the their thanks giving a few waves and promising to invite the entire neighborhood to their wedding. Olivia sucks in some air when her back is turned to them. It's almost as if Alex can read her mood because she rushes to the door to open it and Olivia takes a few quick strides inside. When the door closes, both of them let out a sigh.

And then they speak at the same time.

"Becca has a crush on me."

"Keith has a crush on me."

Then they look at each other, bewildered, and Alex says, "Okay, Professor Philosopher. We could really use some words of wisdom right about now."

All Olivia says is, "Shit."

Continued...


	3. Marriage

**Marriage**

Olivia sits on one of the Turner's sofas and nurses a bottle of beer steadily growing warm in her hands. Beside her is a fairly skinny man with fine chiseled features, dressed sharply in a dark blue polo shirt and nice khaki slacks. His name is Tony Cole and everything about him from the clean seams of his wrinkle resistant clothing to the impeccable way his hair is styled tells Olivia that he spends more time in front of the mirror in the mornings than she does in an entire week. Keith introduced them when Olivia and Alex first arrived tonight and he has been keeping her company ever since. They have been sitting on this seat watching the wives as they gossip in chairs by the buffet table, always quick to refill chips or guacamole and stirring the three different chicken salads so they still look fresh and appetizing.

Alex glances toward them and when she sees Olivia ,the smile on her face disappears and she returns to the conversation coldly.

Tony leans over slightly and says, "The longer you wait, the worse it will be. I know for a fact Becca and Keith are expecting a shared speech from you two later tonight. Do you really want to do that while she's upset at you?"

Olivia makes a face and takes a swig of her beer. "I have nothing to apologize for. She's the stubborn one who won't listen to reason right now."

Tony gives a smile and a faint nod of his head that contains so much insight, she takes note of it and files it away inside her brain for future reference. "What exactly did you do to piss her off?"

"I don't even know, " Olivia says. "Why do you keep assuming this is my fault?"

Tony crosses his arms and says, "Because it usually is the husband's fault, I hear."

She rewards him with a frustrated sigh and says, "You know, we argued a lot before we came here too, but at least then I always knew what we were disagreeing about. Now, it's like the fights happen without me. Just because she's my wife means she knows me well enough to argue my side for me?"

Tony says, "Well, yeah. A good spouse knows their partner to a fault. So whatever little thing you've said to upset her, I suggest you suck up your pride and make amends. What did you argue about anyway?"

Olivia picks at the woven fabric of the white sofa and then racks her newly trimmed nails against it, catching the seams beneath her nails. She says, "I really don't know. She asked me if I missed anyone back home."

"What did you say?"

"I said I didn't."

Tony lets out a sigh and then uncrosses his arms, letting his hands drop femininely to his knees. Then he says, "That's what she's upset about. You were obviously lying. You might as well have said 'I don't trust you with my true feelings' straight to her face."

He is right. Olivia had been lying. She isn't so sure about it being a trust issue, though. She had known it was a lie the second she said it but she hadn't wanted Alex to think that she didn't appreciate her presence. Of course, she did. More than anything else, she was glad she had Alex with her. She looks at all the neighbors mingling amongst each other in the Turner's home, catches sight of Keith who gives her a smile and a nod of his head. The sight of the potential fake-wife stealer leaves a sour taste in her mouth and a lingering urge to punt his head through the wall, but she pushes it out of her head and says to Tony, "What should I have said then?"

"You should have just told her the truth and if she asked who specifically, you should have told her that too. I don't know why it's important to her, but it is and it's your job to find out why before you end up dragging a pillow and blanket to the living room couch."

Now, sitting next to Tony on this white sofa with an empty beer bottle in hand, Olivia gives a nod and runs her hands through her hair as the words she didn't have when Alex asked the question finally rush to her mind like a brain freeze.

"I never had a problem talking to her before we were married." Olivia complains.

Tony reaches over and pats her shoulder sympathetically. "Sweetheart, that's because you weren't married then."

* * *

Across the room sitting on chairs, Alex sits up straighter in her chair and with an annoyed expression on her face. She crosses her arms and says, "I feel like some over-sensitive cliché house wife straight out of a poorly written novel. "

"Not even officially married yet and you're already fighting?" Toni with an I Cole, who should not be confused with her husband Tony with a Y Cole, says with a smirk on her face and the smoke of her lit cigarette lifting in the air. "Proof that even your lesbian example of a golden relationship is still a festering pile of crap."

With a sigh, Alex straightens up and says, "There's no such thing as a perfect relationship."

Becca sits further on the front half of her chair and says, "I don't think that's true. All you have to be is honest with each other. As long as you're honest, no one is hurt, and everything turns out okay."

"You can't actually believe something so naïve like that," Toni says, almost amazed. "The world doesn't work that way, sweetheart. You have to protect what you have because you'll never know how long you'll have it."

"Exactly," Becca says. "Everything is fleeting, isn't it? That's why it's such a shame to not live life honestly. True to yourself and to everyone else."

In the few months Alex has spent as Constance in the company of these women, the constant bickering between Becca and Toni has always made her count down the days until the position at Curry College's Criminal Justice department is finally ready for her to start. Usually, Toni wins these small verbal bouts because Becca chooses not to engage in argument, but now, Alex has to give Becca the point.

"She's right," she says. "You can lose everything in a moment. And when you do, you start looking back at what you lost and you can't help but wonder if things could have been done differently. Leah and I lost everything when we became a couple. We have to be honest with each other because we've got no one else. Even meeting new people is a gamble."

Toni leans forward and says, "Then why do it at all? If you know you're just going to lose it all by coming out like that? Why run the risk?"

"Well," Becca says, smoothing the fabric of her skirt primly beneath her palm. "Every truth has its risks. Sometimes, you just have to trust that the good in people will guide their reactions."

Toni rolls her eyes and points toward Alex, "Obviously, their families did not react well. They're probably dead to everyone important in their lives."

"We are," Alex says with a nod. She sips her wine to keep the rest of the words from escaping from her lips and Toni leans against her seat and takes another long drag, the end of her cigarette flaring like a mini sun she has captured to keep. Her crossed legs shake impatiently.

"So, you two fight often, being with her means disownment from your family and friends, and people have not reacted warmly to your illicit relationship...," Toni says. "Tell me, was it worth it? Is she worth it?"

"That's enough, Toni," Becca starts but Toni waves her away with a sour look on her face.

"I am talking to Constance, Rebecca, thank you," she says with double-edged words. "I just want her to honestly say she doesn't regret her wife even though the whole world is against them."

Alex looks perplexed that someone as brazen as Toni Cole wouldn't agree to say to hell with the rest of the world. She scrapes around for words to say and when she thinks she's found them, she begins, carefully, testing out each word in her head before actually letting it manifest on her tongue.

"It came to a point where we had to make a decision," she says. "We had to choose between our families and our well-being. We chose our well-being with the hope that we'll have our families again someday when everything blows over. To be honest, for me, I don't know what I would have become if it weren't for Leah. I may have been okay with just staying dead. Is she worth it? Yes, Toni. She's worth it."

"Then what on earth are you two fighting about?" Becca asks.

"I don't know if I'm worth it for her," Alex says. She turns to look at Olivia still on the sofa with Tony and when Olivia raises her eyes to meet hers, Alex turns away. "I'm the one who had to move and she didn't have to come with me. But she did. She gave up a lot to be her with me right now."

Becca places her hand on Alex's shoulder, giving it a warm rub. "Oh, honey. You're a lot more sensitive than you let on, aren't you? No wonder Keith is so smitten with you."

Alex stiffens slightly and Toni almost chokes on the wine.

"You know about that?" Alex asks which bewilders Toni even more.

"Of course, silly." Becca smiles. "Keith and I tell each other everything."

"And it doesn't bother you?" Toni demand.

"It seems hypocritical of me to be upset with Keith for a silly crush on someone else when I have one too." Becca laughs like this is some frivolous development and Alex and Toni only sit in silence wondering where the Turners came from and how on earth they found each other.

It's so cold outside that her breath comes out in mists and the chill wind creeps shivers up her spine. Olivia can see the basketball hoop standing tall before her and her fingertips reach out over the goosebumps on the orange basketball in her hands. She lifts it, takes aim, and shoots, watching as the ball arches through the air, slams against the backboard, bounces on the red rim and then falls through the net with a soft swoosh. She cocks her head to the side with a small grimace. Ugh. A little rusty.

"You should arch it more," a girl's voice says and Olivia looks around toward the Turner's house where she sees a teenage girl standing in a black jacket. "And be a little gentler. You're not trying to break the backboard now."

"Hey there," Olivia says. "I don't think we've met. What's your name?"

"McKenna," the girl says. "You're one of the lesbians."

Olivia just gives a guilty nod and a closed-mouthed smile and turns to grab the ball from the grass. She dribbles it a few times and says, "I am 'One of the lesbians', I guess, but I like to go by Leah. Didn't like the party, McKenna?"

"Lots of grown ups talking about boring things. Not my scene. What about you? I thought it was your party?" McKenna motions toward the basketball and Olivia bounces it her way. She bounces it a few times before actually dribbling and then takes a shot that scrapes the rim and falls through.

"Not bad," Olivia says. "I seem to be in a fight with my partner so I'm out here shooting hoops in the cold like a champion idiot."

"Why do married people fight so much?" McKenna asks as passes the ball back to Olivia.

Olivia shrugs and dribbles around the driveway. "I don't know. I guess being married means you have another person to consider in everything you do. It's not always easy to share a life with someone else and little things get under your skin."

McKenna frowns but catches the ball when Olivia passes it to her. "But if you love someone, shouldn't they be more important to you than stupid little things?"

Olivia laughs. "Sure. But it's because you love someone that you're allowed to get upset with them at stupid little things. If you're close to someone, you don't have to hide how you really feel. And you can trust your spouse to still love the real you."

McKenna thinks for a moment before her dribbling becomes more determined and she charges Olivia for a lay up that almost makes it in. Olivia swipes the ball after it ricochets off the backboard and shoots, the ball arcing straight up and then down through the net cleanly.

"You know," McKenna says. "If you're fighting with your wife about something stupid, maybe you should just apologize."

"Even a kid is telling me it's my fault. Great."

At this, McKenna just shakes her head. "I'm not saying it's your fault. I'm just saying that it's warmer inside and there's food inside and out here, there's only cold and basketball. You do the math."

Olivia chuckles. "You're right."

This is the incident that lead to the fight between Alex and Olivia earlier that day. While she was dusting the living room, Olivia had caught sight of the photograph of the two on them on the courthouse steps. She allowed herself a little time to sit on the couch, lifting the framed photograph in her hands, the dragonfly charms dangling with every movement. Alex was in the attached dining room behind her taking care of the cabinet where the fine china was placed. She had noticed Olivia looking at the picture, returned to dusting, and said this:

"You miss it, don't you? Being a cop?"

Olivia hadn't heard her the first time. It's something Alex had discovered in their time living together. When Olivia was in thought, she had a tendency to finish the thought before responding. So she asked the question again when she knew she was listening.

"I bet you miss it. Being scolded by Don, listening to John wax poetically about some conspiracy, drinking the cheap coffee Fin somehow manages to make delicious, chasing down suspects with Elliot..."

Olivia let out a faint smile and then politely shook her head before setting the picture down and standing from the couch. "Nah. I'm fine."

Fine. Alex had chewed on the word, realizing that she had no idea what it meant. Fine. It is a generic word with no meaning. Who really says "I'm fine" and actually means it? It's a blanket word used to cover up all the thoughts, emotions, or events in a person's life, a covert word that says, "I'm not telling you what's really going on with me." By now, Alex thought, they should have reached a point of mutual honesty, right? The more she thought of the flippant response, the more she found herself irritated.

She wasn't sure how to address it yet, though. Was she allowed to push Olivia to spill? Would that be nagging? She decided to ignore it and brush it off. This was the one thing she knew to be a weakness of hers. She was never very good at letting people in, letting them know what she was feeling, especially people she liked. What if Olivia regrets this? All of this?

"All right then," she'd said and the words came out with a bit more ice than she had intended.

That was the first hint that Alex was upset. The second one came a few hours later when they were making sandwiches for lunch. Olivia was talking about President Bush's No Child Left Behind act and how all the education programs dealing with high school students were worried that it would have a reverse effect and Alex had just nodded her head and offered "MmHmms" the entire time.

"Hey, you okay?" Olivia had asked.

Alex said, "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Something's on your mind that you aren't telling me about."

"That is exactly what I don't want to hear from you right now. I said I was fine, so I am fine."

"I was asking you out of concern and you're biting my head off. I thought that was something only reserved for real wives."

"I can't talk about this right now." Alex slapped the lid back on the mayonnaise jar and spun it sharply before slinging it back into the fridge. "You're right. This isn't a real marriage and you aren't my real wife, so it makes perfect sense to just drop the cover when we're behind closed doors and there's just the two of us."

"Woah." Olivia stepped in her way as she turned from the fridge to the pantry. "Where did that come from? You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Alex held her in same emotionless gaze Olivia had seen grace her face in the courtroom when she was about to cross-examine a witness she was not particularly keen on. This was the last clue Olivia needed to realize that she was upset at her. Alex pulled three avocados from the pantry and placed them in a large bowl. She handed her the bowl and then walked out of the kitchen leaving Olivia confused and only vaguely aware that an argument had just transpired.

When Olivia and McKenna walk back through the doors of the Turner's home, her cheeks and the tip of her nose are tinged pink from the chill night and she removes her jacket and hangs it in the closet once more with McKenna's. That's when Keith catches her attention from the living room with a wave of his hand and motions for her to come. Olivia flashes a compliant nod his way. She supposes she's avoided him long enough.

"Sandifer!" Keith says, reaching over to pat her shoulder firmly. "I've been looking for you. I think it's about time for speeches from the guests of honor."

"I'm not exactly feeling up to it," Olivia begins, but Keith urges her to the front of the dining room table where Becca and Alex are standing. It's the first time since arriving that night that Olivia has been in Alex's vicinity and they exchange still greetings.

"Keith, honey, maybe this can wait a little longer," Becca begins but Keith shakes his head.

"Nonsense. Now's a great time!" he says and then calls the room to attention, waiting only long enough for every pair of eyes to look their way. "We're all here tonight to congratulate our new neighbors on their new found officially legal marital status."

The room erupts into a round of applause and light chatter and Olivia shifts her weight, waves a hand, and then sneaks a glance toward Alex who is receiving the applause gracefully with a smile.

"So." Keith continues. "I thought it would be great to hear some words from our guests of honor."

There is another round of applause as both Keith and Becca step aside, leaving Olivia and Alex standing side by side in front of the entire room just beneath the banner that reads "Congratulations!" And when Alex hesitates, Olivia steps forward and clears her throat, the fingers of right hand running up and down the seam of her pant leg.

"Thank you. I'm sure both Constance and I really appreciate everyone's support," she says, almost rigidly. Then she takes in a breath and relaxes, casting her gaze to the floor momentarily before looking up again. "I feel like I just went through a crash course in marriage today. You see, earlier, Constance was upset with me for something I did or said or didn't do or didn't say. I'm still not sure which, honestly."

Olivia can feel Alex's gaze stabbing into her shoulder at the obvious violation of privacy she'd just done, but she shakes it off and continues speaking, hoping that by the end, at least some hard feelings could be forgiven.

"But after speaking with a few people tonight, married and unmarried alike, I realized something. This is what marriage is about, isn't it? It's about forging a life with someone else and becoming so close that these little things that wouldn't mean as much with an acquaintance suddenly become important enough that they could start a fight. Because every moment with your partner should be that important." Olivia lifts her hands for a moment as she thinks how to word her next thoughts. "Right now, all I can really think is 'My god, I'm married now. I'm married to this woman now.' Like today it's finally sunk in."

This is the thing about Olivia. Often, she has just the right words to say. She knows just the right tone to work with just the right person at just the right moment, and though she is usually unaware how effective her words can be sometimes, she is not unaware of exactly how they effect those around her. Right now, she completely misses the mark because when she turns at the soft touch on her arm, she is taken completely by surprise when Alex reaches her other hand to her cheek and then kisses her.

Alex ignores the surprise she's caused when she pulls away, takes a few steps back, and then exits the room through the kitchen, leaving Olivia feeling like, for the second time that day, something she's only vaguely aware of has just happened.

Continued...

 **A/N:** It's interesting rereading this story, this chapter specifically. My views on relationships have altered drastically. My views on healthy communication has altered as well. Part of me dislikes making Alex so awful at communication. The other part of me understands the whole plot of chapter 3 sort of depends on the lack of it though.


	4. Reality TV

**Reality TV**

Olivia holds the door open for Alex to walk through, holding the guacamole bowl in her free hand. Alex pauses at the closet by the door and slides the jacket from her shoulders, letting it drop behind her back and then brings it around to hang on one of the plastic hangers. She leaves the closet open for Olivia and without a word, takes the bowl from her hand and then walks to the kitchen. They have not exchanged any words with each other since the kiss and Olivia finds it aggravating.

When she joins Alex in the kitchen, she's washing the bowl even though it's eleven at night and Olivia leans on the doorframe and watches her, arms loosely crossed and her head resting against the white frame.

"Are you still angry at me?" Olivia asks. "I can't tell anymore these days."

Alex turns the water on to rinse off the soap on the bowl and the lid and says, "No, I'm not angry at you."

"Then what's with the silent treatment? Embarrassed?" When she receives no reply, Olivia smiles. "That's it, isn't it? You're embarrassed about the kiss."

"I didn't do anything I knew I'd regret," Alex says matter-of-factly, using a dish towel to wipe the bowl dry now. "Your words were the kinds of words that would illicit such a reaction from Constance. I was merely acting the part."

She lays the towel flat on the counter beside the sink and then sets the bowl upside down on it, finally turning to face an Olivia who is clearly not satisfied with that explanation. It's the first time she has actually looked at her face to face the entire night and Olivia finds herself almost startled, as if she'd forgotten the exact shade of blue of her eyes or the exact level of intensity they could contain.

"What if I told you that wasn't Leah speaking?"

Alex pats her cheek as she walks passed her headed for the stairs and says, "I know it wasn't, but we were still in a room of people who know us as Constance and Leah. It's important to stick to the cover."

"Right," Olivia says. "Because we wouldn't want to confuse anyone."

Alex offers her a smile. "I don't think anyone was confused."

Then, Alex bids her goodnight and takes to the steps and Olivia lets out her breathe evenly, feeling her lungs deflate in her chest. "Yeah. None of them maybe..."

When she turns to make her own way to the stairs, she shuts off the lights in the hallway and the entire first floor is shrouded in darkness.

* * *

Inside her office the next day, Olivia removes her shoes and props her feet on her desk as she tilts her head back and pinches the bridge of her nose. At the front of her desk is a nameplate that reads Leah Sandifer, Coordinator. Her office is situated in an old dormitory converted into an office building. Scribbled on the walls of her closet are the names of residents who used to live there with their corresponding years. She likes to ignore the signature that reads, "Sarah's virginity '86."

She hears the steps of their secretary, Brenda, coming toward her office doors before she hears her voice. "Hey, Leah? I need you to sign these PAs for the new student worker. Accounting seems to have lost the- are you okay?"

When Olivia opens her eyes to see Brenda, a social work graduate student who single-handedly trained Olivia due to the alarmingly recurring absence of the Director. This month she is away on a family cruise and then will be attending three out of state conferences in a row.

At the sight of Brenda, Olivia removes her feet and sits up, almost too glad to see the younger woman. "Brenda, let me ask you something," she says. "I think I have a wife problem."

Brenda lets out a sympathetic smile and sits on the sofa across from her desk. "I thought the good thing about being a lesbian was that you're both women and can read each other like telepathically or something." She catches herself, apologizes, and then says, "Was that awfully offensive and bigoted just now?"

"Relax. I'm not going to jump down your throat." Olivia smiles and then she pauses as she realizes that saying "My wife kissed me last night. What does that mean?" to Brenda would sound absolutely ridiculous. She's going to have to be careful how she words this. "Someone kissed me and I don't know exactly how to react to it."

Brenda says, "You don't. You're in a committed relationship, remember? It would be considered cheating if you did."

"Okay," Olivia says with a nod. "Obviously that explanation makes me seem like a rat bastard who is perfectly capable of cheating on her wife. Let me rephrase."

Brenda makes herself comfortable on the couch and shoots Olivia an expression that says, "Be my guest."

Now she has to think for a moment, drumming her fingertips against the top of her desk. Then she says, "Constance and I had a fight. We didn't actually make up, but I said something and then she gave me this weird kiss."

The look on Brenda's face is almost comical and Olivia has to stifle the laugh she feels bubbling in her chest. Brenda leans forward and says, "You're freaking out over a kiss from your wife? Did you marry her before you kissed her or what?"

Olivia says, "Are you going to help me figure out what it meant or are you just going to poke fun at the aspects of my relationship you find perplexing?"

"You're really bothered by this, huh?" Brenda says amused, resting her chin in her hand. "How about you tell me what you said first? Give me a little context on the atmosphere before the kiss? Then we can go from there."

"I don't know what I said," Olivia says with a frown. "Just as I don't know what I said to upset her in the first place. It was a congratulatory party for us. I said something about marriage, she kissed me, and then walked away."

"What kind of kiss was it?"

"Closed mouthed and soft?"

"How did she signal to you that she was going to kiss you?"

"She didn't. She touched my arm and took me by surprise."

Brenda nods in thought before continuing with arched eyebrow. "How did she react after the kiss?"

"Mysterious. But she smiled."

"That's good." Brenda points an "aha" finger at her. "You want my personal opinion?"

"That's why I asked," Olivia says, sitting back in her chair again.

"She was upset at you. You said something nice and won her over again. She kissed you. Wa-la," Brenda says, standing. "Where do you want to order from for lunch?"

"Wait, wait." Olivia stands from her chair, even more confused. "You're saying she kissed me because I _won_ her?"

"Don't be a stereotypical dense 'husband', Leah," Brenda says. "I seriously thought with you being a woman, you'd at least recognize what your wife, another woman, mind you, felt when your love for her had been reaffirmed. That's what that kiss meant. It was just her saying 'I love you'. Now, how about the Campus Grill? I feel like a cheeseburger."

After she leaves the office, Olivia plops back down on her seat and lets out a sigh and Brenda's line on the office phone lights up. Olivia returns her feet to the desk and leans back once more, pinching the bridge of her nose again.

"That didn't help at all."

* * *

Olivia pushes the door open almost cautiously and then scolds herself for feeling slightly nervous. This is stupid, she tells herself. Being afraid of seeing her wife? Not particularly stupid. Being afraid of her fake wife? Yes, monumentally stupid. What exactly was she afraid of? That Alex would kiss her again? Would that really be so horrible?

Before she closes the door, she hears someone giggling and stops to listen for a bit. She closes the door, hangs up her coat, and then peeks into the living room just as Alex and McKenna, still in her dark green uniform of St. Ambrose Academy, enter from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn and glasses of tea. By the living room table, Olivia can see Mckenna's bag emblazoned with the St. Ambrose's school seal resting against a chair.

"Hey there." Alex smiles and then hands her the bowl of popcorn. "I told McKenna she could wait here until her mother comes home. I'll get you some tea."

"Sure. Thanks," Olivia says watching as Alex walks away and disappears into the kitchen.

"It won't be long," McKenna says quickly. "I promise I'll be out of your hair by nine. You don't want a kid cramping your style."

Olivia has to reach over a hand to give McKenna a pat on the shoulder, showing her to the couch. "Relax, McKenna. You're not cramping anyone's style. What's the agenda for tonight?"

"We thought we'd watch a movie," Alex says from the attached living room, holding another glass of tea. She passes it to Olivia when she nears.

"Can you believe she hasn't seen The Sixth Sense?" McKenna asks, settling on the carpet right in front of the sofa and Olivia takes a seat on one end of the sofa. "That's only like the biggest movie faux pas in existence."

"If one happens to be just out of her prepubescent years." Alex smirks.

"Aw," McKenna says with a smile watching as Alex steps around the coffee table to the other end of the couch. "You're not old, Constance. You're just youthfully impaired."

Alex has to laugh as she sits down beside Olivia and then leans into her as she pulls her feet onto the couch. Thankfully, she's too amused at her conversation with McKenna to really catch Olivia's awkward surprise at this proximity.

"I rather enjoy being youthfully impaired. It means avoiding a pop culture that indulges in the absurd shenanigans of reality television shows that showcase the lives of air-headed heiresses and fairly handsome millionaires who, believable or not, can't find a suitable spouse on their own despite their genetic, social, and financial advantages," Alex says, popping a piece of popcorn in her mouth.

McKenna thinks a moment. "But the Simple Life is a much needed ego-boost for all of America's young girls."

Alex smiles. "Oh. You forfeited the round when your momentary panic physically manifested upon your face. I win by default."

"Damn." Mckenna frowns.

"Don't feel too bad, McKenna. Constance's tongue has been sharpened by years of practice very few high schoolers have." Olivia reaches toward the coffee table for the remote, causing Alex to sit up as well. As soon as she sits back, Alex settles against her shoulder again.

McKenna looks over her shoulder at them with a smile. "So, do your arguments get all witty and clever? If they do, we could submit your life to be a new reality TV show. I bet it'll be really interesting."

"I'm not exactly sure who would be interested in watching our lives," Alex says, pulling a pillow into her lap. Olivia tries to straighten up with the sudden space but Alex returns and she's forced to settle back down. "We're fairly boring."

"Are you kidding?" McKenna asks. "Right now, Leah looks like Justin Wooten when we went to last year's homecoming and I tried to hold his hand. All stiff and 'Oh god, contact with a double X chromosome. Brain fart.' That's reality TV gold!"

Olivia feels a sudden wave of heat on her cheeks and coughs. "That's ridiculous, McKenna. We're married."

"That's what I'm saying!" McKenna protests. "A married woman whose wife still makes her stiffen up like a high school sophomore but then says ultra romantic things like at that party unknowingly melting the hearts of every woman in the room? Ratings through the roof."

Alex smiles up at Olivia and says, "She's right. I would watch that."

Olivia says to McKenna, "Thanks for giving Constance more fodder to use against me."

McKenna smiles and steals the popcorn and says primly, "You're welcome."

* * *

When 9:30 rolls around, Olivia dries the last dish from dinner and peeks over her shoulder at McKenna still at the dining room table with her Geometry textbook open in front of her. She sees Alex, sitting next to McKenna with her own nightly reading, check her watch and then shoot her a questioning glance which Olivia just shrugs her shoulders to. Alex sighs and then sets her periodical to the side.

"McKenna, I don't mean to imply that you need to stop while you're in the middle of things, but it's already 9:30. Isn't your mom worried about you? Do you think you should call her?"

McKenna looks up and immediately stands from the table, slamming her geometry text shut and shoving it inside her school bag. "It's 9:30? Oh. Yeah. I guess I should go then. She's probably home by now. Sorry if I stayed too late."

Olivia comes into the dining room wiping her hands dry. "You didn't bother us at all. The company was nice, though I'm not exactly sure I like this team you two have formed against me."

Alex and McKenna give the same smirk and McKenna says, "I think that's your fault. You make yourself an easy target."

Helping McKenna gather her things, Alex says, "Why don't Leah and I walk you to your door and explain to your mother that you've been with us this entire time?"

"Oh, no. That's okay. You really don't need to do that," Mckenna says immediately and both Olivia and Alex can see the flash of panic in the girl's eyes before she forces the smile. "Besides, look at me. I'm the kind of kid who waits at a neighbor's and does her homework instead of running off with a bunch of dropouts who probably burned their brain cells away long ago with marijuana or something. Come on. What's not to trust?"

Olivia can't help the smirk that forms on her lips and she says, "Smart ass."

They see her to the door and stand on their stoop making sure she makes it across the circular dead end of their street. McKenna gives a wave of her hand when she reaches her home and knocks on the front door. It's an awkward few moments before the door opens and she disappears inside the house. Then, rubbing their shoulders, Alex and Olivia begin to turn to go back inside.

When the door is shut, Alex says, "I've been meaning to tell you this, but apparently, Becca and Keith both know of the other's respective crushes on us."

"They do?" Olivia says, intrigued as she follows Alex back into the living room where they start straightening up the pillows.

"Mmhm," Alex says. "Apparently, they have this naïve code about how being honest prevents people from being hurt."

Olivia lets out a snide snicker and says, "I'm not so sure I agree with that. What makes you bring this up, anyway?"

Bending to arrange the remotes on the glass coffee table, Alex says, "I thought we could have an honesty bout with each other every so often and see how it goes."

Now, Olivia takes a seat on the couch and says, "All right. 'I'm sorry, Constance. You're married to a fraud. Oh, look at that. So am I.' Honesty bout over."

Alex takes a seat on the other side of the sofa and says, "If we weren't in this situation, would you ever consider Becca a possibility?"

Now Olivia has to laugh and she says, "Wow. No."

"Why not?"

"Why not?" Olivia asks, almost indignantly. "Several reasons. A. She's married. B. She's not exactly the reddest strawberry in the patch. C. She's creepy. If you saw the way she looked at me when she told me she liked me, you'd agree. D. _She's Becca._ Why do you even have to ask that? If we weren't in the this situation, we wouldn't even be here thus never meeting the Turners and never leading to either of them crushing on either of us."

Alex lets out an amused smile and says, "I could see you with her."

Then she stands and starts for the stairs and Olivia, stunned, jumps to her feet and follows her, watching the back of her head as they ascend.

"Wait, what?" She almost demands. "You can't just say you can see me with Becca Turner and then walk away on me. What if I said to you I could see you in a relationship with Keith?"

"You don't think I could be in a relationship with Keith?"

Olivia pauses on the steps and finds the animosity inside her at the idea of such a thing almost surprising. Then she says, "No, I don't. You're my wife for one thing."

At the top of the stairs, Alex leans down and reminds her of the literal circumstances. "Fake wife over whose sexual liaisons you actually have no claim over, just as I have none over yours. I merely wanted to discuss what we should do if one of us were wishing to pursue a relationship in which sexual interactions could be a viable option."

Olivia pauses, all her thoughts taken straight out of her mouth before they can become words, and she's left speechless, two steps below the woman she'd asked to marry her, whom, until this moment, she's never actually thought would be interesting in pursuing that, although, she feels silly for not thinking of it. Everyone wants a relationship. Why would Alex be any different?

She blinks a moment and then says, "...do you have someone in mind?"

Alex smiles. "Maybe."

And Olivia suddenly feels like she really is in a reality TV show with an audience who can put two and two together better than she can.

She says, "Just to clarify, but are you speaking as Constance or Alex? These days, I can't tell anymore."

"You are impossible sometimes, you know that?" Alex asks as she flicks the light on in the bathroom

Olivia frowns and follows her. She grabs her toothbrush from the cup by the faucet. "Yeah, but you married me. What does that say about you?"

Alex gives her a shove and a shake of her head.

Continued...


End file.
